thompson



Patented Apr; 25, I899.

S. B. THOMPSON.

FOLDING CRATE. (Applicatiofi filed June 21, 1898.)

(No Model.)

awuam SAM B. THOMPSON, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TOCHARLES E. ROPER AND EDWIN R. ABBOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,849, dated April25, 1899.

Application filed June 21, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAM B. THoMPsoN,asubject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State ofVirginia, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in FoldingGrates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to folding crates for containing poultry orproduce.

The object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedcrate of simple and inexpensive construction which will be strong,rigid, and commodious when extended and adapted for rapid and easyextension or for folding into extremely-compact and readilyportableform, so as to occupy but little space when not in use or while beingreshipped.

The invention is embodied in a crate whose component parts are ofimproved construction and connected together in a novel manner forfolding and extension, as more fully set forth in the followingdescription and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of mycomplete crate when in extended arrangement, certain parts being brokenaway to better disclose the construction; Fig. 2, a perspective view ofthe crate when folded,parts being broken away to show the position ofthe folded sides; Fig. 3, a detail View of one of the hinge connections,and Fig. 4 a detail View of another hinge connection.

The crate-bottom 1 is, as usual, of rectangular shape and is provided atone end with a raised transverse piece 2. A rectangular frame 3 of thesame size as the bottom is supported above the latter by standards at,preferably of steel, which are pivoted at the points 5 and 6 to thebottom 1 and frame 3, respectively. Any suitable pivotal connection canbe employed; but I prefer to use split rivets, which are clenched on theinside of the frame. As many of the standards can be employed as founddesirable; but three on each side, disposed at the ends and center ofthe crate,

serial No. 684,055. (No model.)

as shown, are usually sufficient. The top frame 3 has a rabbet 7 for thereception of a top or cover 8, which is hinged to the frame and liesflush with it when closed. The sides, which are shown at 9, have theirlower edges connected to the bottom by staple-hinges 10 and are locatednext the inner faces of the standards and adapted to fold down flat onthe bottom of the crate. These sides are just high enough to fit insnugly yet easily under the frame 3 when the latter is raised and thestandards are disposed vertically, and they act as supports and bracesfor said frame and assist in maintaining it rigid when extended. Asuitable number of gravity catch-pins 11,

wvhich pass through the frame 3 and into the upper portions of thesides, securely hold the sides in position. The sides, it will beobserved, lie flush or somewhat below the piece 2 when they are foldedagainst the bottom 1. The ends are shown at 12 and 13, the upper edge ofend 12 being rounded at 14, adjacent the end of the frame 3, to preventbinding and the lower edge of end 13 being similarly rounded for a likepurpose adjacent the end of the bottom 1.

Duplicate metallic hinge-plates 14 are secured to and project beyond theside pieces of the frame 3, at one end thereof, said plates beingprovided with horizontal slots 15, terminating in enlargements 16, saidslots and enlargements loosely receiving the shanks of screws 17, (asingle bolt could be substituted, if desired,) which are entered in theend 12. The lower portion of end 13 is attached to the bottom 1 by ahinge connection similar to that just described. The end standards arenotched or grooved at 21 to permit the free movement of the heads of thescrews 17 when folding or extending the crate.

Ordinary hinges can be employed for connecting the lower edge of end 12to the piece 2 and the upper edge of end 13 to the frame 3, if desired;but Iprefer to use the following improved hinge connection because ofits cheapness and advantages: The numerals 18 designate metallic hingemembers of substantially the shape of a figure 3, which have their endsentered and secured in the bottom 1 and piece 2 and their intermediateportions tree or disposed away from the same. Staples 19 011 the loweredge of the end 12 encircle and are adapted to slide on the hingemembers, but their movement in one direction is limited by the humps orstops 20 of said members. The top portion of end 13 has staples 19,which are engaged with hinge members 18 on the frame 3, similar to thosejust described. The humps are so disposed that by their engagement withthe staples when the crate is extended they prevent any longitudinalshifting or displacement of the ends should the cratebe subjected to apressure which would tend to cause such displacemen t. These hingemembers can be cheaply and easilystamped from sheet metal and, togetherwith the staples, constitute a cheap and strong connection.

The bottom is preferably made solid, but the ends, sides, and top arecovered with wirenetting for purposes of ventilation, although they maybe constructed solid or even provided with glass. The crate can be usedfor any of the purposes to which crates are usually subjeeted, but whenused for poultry it is desirable to provide each side with a smallhinged door 22, one only being shown in the drawings, for the sake ofconvenience in handling the contents of the crate. The top or cover isused in removing produce from the crate.

If the crate is extended and it is desired to fold it, this isaccomplished in the following manner: The catchpins 11 are lifted andthe sides upon being pushed inward fall fiat on the bottom. \Vhen thetop frame and ends are folded down on the sides, the crate is completelycollapsed and is then in a flat and very compact form, so that itoccupies but little space. These operations and the reverse of them canbe accomplished very rapidly and easily.

Owing to the relative disposition of the pivotal or hinge points of thestandards and ends the latter during folding or extension of the cratemove in a manner eccentric to each other; but this is compensated for bythe slots 15 and enlargements 16, which permit the necessary movementsof the screws 17. During the movement of the ends the staples 19 slideon the curved portions of the hinge members 18. The transverse piece 2,being as high as the sides when the latter are folded on the bottom,insures the perfectly fiat folding of the top and ends, and thus permitsof piling or stacking a number of the crates 011 top of each other, sothat they can be stored or shipped in systematic and regular order. Theconstruction of my crate can be varied in many particulars withoutdetracting from any of its advantages or departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to thespecific construction herein shown and described, but consider myselfentitled to all variations or modifications falling fairly within thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding crate, the combination with a bottom, of a foldable top,sides, ends, a hinge connection between the bottom and one of the endswhich consists of slotted plates connected to the bottom andhinge-pivots on the end which are loosely received in the slots, asimilar hinge connection between the other end and the top, andadditional hinge connections between the first-named end and the top andthe last-named end and the bottom.

2. In a folding crate, the combination with a bottom, of a foldable top,sides, and ends which are hinged to the bottom and to the top, one hingeconnection of each end consisting of hinge members having humps orstops, and eyes interlocked with and slidable on the hinge members.

In a folding crate, the combination with a bottom, of a foldable top,sides, and ends, one of which is hinged to the bottom and the other tothe top, and connections between the other portions of the ends and thetop and bottom, respectively, which consist of hinge members ofsubstantially the shape of a figure 3 which have their ends fastened andtheir intermediate portions free, and eyes which are interlocked withand slidable on said members.

4. A folding crate, comprising a bottom, a foldable top, sides, and endswhich are hinged to the top and bottom, one hinge connection for eachend having a shiftable pivot, and the other hinge connection for eachend consisting of a hinge member having a hump or stop, and an eyeinterlocked with the member and slidable on it.

5. A folding crate, comprising a bottom, a foldable top, sides, and endswhich are hinged to the top and bottom, one of said hinge connectionsconsisting of slotted plates and pivots movable in said slots, and theother hinge connection comprising hinge members having their ends seeured and their intermediate portions free and provided with humps orstops, and eyes interlocked with, and slidable on, the members.

(5. A folding crate, comprising a bottom, a top, standards pivoted tothe top and to the bottom, and ends hinged, respectively, to the top andbottom in an eccentric manner in relation to the standards and havingone of their said hinge connections provided with a shiftable pivot.

7. In a folding crate, the combination with two of the relativelyfoldable parts thereof, of a permanent hinge composed of a member havinga slot provided with an enlargement and connected to one of the movableparts, and a pivot, connected to the other part, said pivot beingadapted to travel in the slot and with, and slidable on, said member,which is enlargement duringthe movement of the foldconnected to theother movable part. 10 able parts. In testimony whereof I affix mysignature 8. In a folding crate, the combination with in presence of twowitnesses. two of the relatively movable parts thereof, SAM B. THOMPSON.of a hingeconsisting of a member of substan- Witnesses: tially the shapeof the numeral3,connected N. N. JACKSON, to one of the parts, and an eyeinterlocked JNO. F. WILKINS.

